PPP opposes civilians’ trials in military courts

Discord brewing between two largest parties of ruling alliance

ISLAMABAD:

 

Hidden beneath a united front, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has quietly been opposing the idea of military trials of civilians in the wake of the May 9 vandalism.

The party is also maintaining a “safe distance” from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) unwavering stance of prosecuting some of the May 9 attackers and their alleged instigators, including PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan, in the military courts.

The PPP’s silent dissent is not only revealing its open opposition to the military courts, but also diverges from the PML-N’s firm position. It shows a brewing discord between the two largest parties of the ruling coalition.

They have already been engaged in political differences over the allocation of funds in the next fiscal year’s budget for the victims of the 2022 floods and the way the finance minister has been dealing with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

As tensions arose after the PPP conveyed its reservations to the ruling alliance, the PML-N tightened its grip and passed a pro-military courts resolution from the National Assembly in the presence of a handful of lawmakers when the opposition leader opened the budget debate on June 12.

Two days after the resolution was passed, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani openly opposed the trial of civilians under the Pakistan Army Act of 1952 and the Official Secret Act of 1923.

He said there was no justification for trying civilians in the military courts and the failed experiments of the past should not be repeated.

“We have never supported the military courts, except one time when the judges and their families faced serious threats,” a PPP lawmaker, who has served at key positions, told The Express Tribune. “That request too had come from judiciary,” he added.

The PPP lawmaker explained that the judges were scared of giving decisions against terrorists back then and had asked for the military courts.

“The reasons for trying civilians in the military courts are different now,” he said. “We don’t feel the military courts are now required,” he added.

While confirming that his party had conveyed its concerns to the PML-N at different forums, he said the PPP wanted stern action against those involved in the May 9 violence but not through the military courts.

Another PPP stalwart shared that the PML-N had been building pressure on the PPP by passing a resolution and through the media. However, the PPP was still maintaining a "safe distance", he continued.

The PPP senior leader said his party had never been in favour of the military courts but admitted that it had endorsed the decisions while being a part of the government, which is just a couple of months away from completing its term.

The PPP stalwart was referring to the government’s decisions made in the federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, giving approval for the trial of civilians in the military courts just days after the National Security Committee (NSC) and the Corps Commanders’ Conference vowed to bring those behind the violent protests to justice.

Through the National Assembly resolution, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without naming anyone, had said that a political party and its chairman, while flouting the Constitution and law, crossed all limits in their actions against the national security institutions, adding that the perpetrators of the May 9 tragedy would be tried under the Army Act.

The defence minister had recently told The Express Tribune that chances were that the PTI chairman could be tried in a military court in connection with his alleged involvement in the May 9 attacks on civil and military installations in different cities.

Asif said the former prime minister could stand trial in a military court if evidence of his involvement surfaced in the coming days.

The defence minister’s statement had come on the heels of similar remarks by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who said Imran would face trial in a military court for his “role” in the May 9 attacks.

Sanaullah had accused the PTI chief of “personally planning the attacks” on military installations, saying that there was ample evidence in the shape of Imran’s tweets and messages to substantiate the accusations.

While alleging that Imran had personally orchestrated the attacks, he raised the question as to why his trial should not be conducted in a military court.

The PTI found itself in hot waters when protesters, allegedly belonging to the party, vandalised civilian and government properties on May 9.

The protesters even attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Lahore’s Jinnah House, where the corps commander was residing, among other buildings, installations and symbols of State.

The attacks had occurred hours after dozens of Rangers personnel arrested the PTI chief from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with a corruption case on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Violent protests broke out across the country after the arrest and rioters attacked the civilian infrastructure and military installations.

Several PML-N leaders, including the federal information minister, were approached for comments over the PPP expressing its reservations on civilians’ trials in the military courts, but they did not respond.